Knitting needle



1956 H. A. M. J. H. SORNIN DE LEYSAT 2,730,331

KNITTING NEEDLE Filed March 18. 1952 IHvENT'oRI AvELm MARI! Tos PH HILAIRE' 50mm DE LEYSAT United States Patent KNITTING NEEDLE Henri Adelin Marie Joseph Hilaire Sorniu de Leysat, Dieppe, Seine-Inferieure, France Application March 18, 1952, Serial No. 277,099 Claims priority, application Belgium March 20, 1951 8 Claims. (Cl. 66-117) My invention relates to a method for knitting and to a needle for the execution of said method. In a general manner, the introduction of the thread into the knitted fabric is provided by means of a needle including a thread-guiding member for laying the weft thread inside the meshes of the fabric. This needle is constituted for inst nce by an elongated tube one end of which at least is pointed and is associated with a port wherethrough the thread that is introduced through the opposite open end of the needle moves out of the needle with a view to engage the meshes that are being made during the knitting procedure.

NOW I have found that certain modifications may be brought to the needle in order to make its operation easier while reducing the braking action to which the thread is submitted inside the needle. One of the main causes of the braking action exerted on the thread consists in that the thread is submitted at the output end of the needle to a sudden shifting into a direction at an acute angle with its former direction, which shifting is performed in order that the thread may engage the meshes that are being formed. Furthermore, the thread, being held by the tractional action to which it is being submitted against the inner wall of the needle, has its axis shifted with reference to the longitudinal axis of the needle while the resistance due to friction inside the needle is somewhat substantial and may hinder the operation of the needles during the knitting procedure.

One of the chief features of my invention consists in that each hollow knitting needle that is provided near its pointed end with an outlet port which allows the release of the thread entering the needle through its opposite end, includes a guiding member carried inside the needle in order to hold the thread in substantial axial relationship with reference to the needle While preventing any sharp angular shifting of the thread passing out of the outlet port into a direction at an acute angle with reference to its former direction.

In accompanying drawings are illustrated by way of example two preferred embodiments of a needle accord ing to my invention. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a hollow needle with a thread-guiding roller facing the outlet port in the needle.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a modified embodiment of my improved needle.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-section of the needle shown in Fig. 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the hollow tubular needle 3 has one of its ends 4 assuming the conventional shape of a point so as to further the formation of the meshes during the knitting procedure.

A lateral port 5 provided in the needle near the pointed end 4 thereof allows the thread introduced through the opposite open end of the needle to pass out of the needle so that it may be reintroduced into the row of meshes that are being knitted. A short spindle 7 lying perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the needle across said port 5 is secured inside the needle through welding or the like known means and it revolubly carries a roller 8 the outer portion of the periphery of which lies in the vicinity of the edge of the port 5 towards the middle point of the length of said port. This roller serves for guiding the thread as it moves out of the needle through said port 5.

The short spindle 7 is located in a manner such that the roller 8 may hold the thread centrally in proximity with the axis of the needle without said thread contacting with the edge of the port 5.

In the second embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, l have shown a hollow needle 3 provided with a port 5 the edge of which extends in the shape of two longitudinal tongues 9 and 9' folded inwardly of the needle so as to form a head over which the thread is guided inside the needle coaxially with the latter.

Thus the threadtprogressing inside the needle as the meshes are being knitted is submitted to only negligible friction as it passes through the hollow portion of the needle.

In both embodiments, the thread assumes a suitable curvature under the action of the tongues 9 or of the roller 8, as the case may be, when said thread is angularly shifted before it enters the meshes that are being knitted.

Obviously, it is also possible to hold the thread in substantial coaxial relationship with'the inside of the needle through a mere inward folding of the edge of the port 5 or again it is possible to provide a suitable extra thickness for said inner edge of the port 5.

Obviously, my invention has been disclosed merely by way of exemplification and by no means in a limiting sense and various modifications may be brought to its details Without unduly widening the scope of my invention as defined in accompanying claims.

Reference is made to applicants copending application Serial No. 180,410, entitled Knitting Method and Needles for Executing Said Method," and filed August 19, 1950.

What I claim is:

1. A hollow knitting needle comprising a tubular member open at one end and the other end of which is pointed,said tubular member being provided with a lateral outlet port near said pointed end through which port the thread passes out of the needle towards the fabric that is being knitted, a short spindle rigidly secured at both ends to the sides of the port and extending across said port inside the tubular member in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the latter and a roller revolubly carried by said spindle and over which the thread is guided as it passes out of the port.

2. A needle device, comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular member having a rear and a front end portion each formed with an opening, the opening in said front end portion being located in the side wall of said tubular member; and guiding means arranged substantially inside of said tubular member adjacent the opening in said front end portion and having a smooth curved guiding surface located inwardly spaced from the cylindrical inner surface of said tubular member, whereby thread passing through the interior of said tubular member and outwardly through said front end opening may engage said surface of said guiding means so as to be guided thereby during its passage through the interior of said tubular member, spaced from said cylindrical inner surface of said tubular member and around the edge of said front end opening during its passage therethrough.

3. A needle device, comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular member open at its rear end and having a tapered front end portion, said tubular member being formed in the region of said tapered front end portion with a lateral opening in the wall thereof; and guiding means arranged substantially inside of said tubular member adjacent said lateral opening in said front end portion and having a smooth curved guiding surface located inwardly spaced from the cylindrical inner surface of said tubular member, whereby thread passing through the interior of said tubular member and outwardly through said lateral opening may engage said surface of said guiding means soas to be guided thereby during its passage through the interior of said tubular member, spaced from said cylindrical inner surface of said tubular member and around the edge of said lateral opening during itspassage therethrough.

: 4. 'A needle device, comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular member having a rear and a front end portion each formed with an opening, the opening in said front end portion being located in the side wall of said tubular member; and guiding means having a smooth curved surface arranged in said tubular member opposite the opening in said front end portion, whereby thread passing through the interior of said tubular member and outwardly through said front end opening may engage said surface of said guiding means so as to be guided thereby around the edge of said front end opening during its passage therethrough.

a 5. A needle device, comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular member open at its rear end and having a tapered front end portion, said tubular member being formed in the region of said tapered front end portion with a lateral opening in the wall thereof; and guide roller means having a smooth curved surface arranged in said tubular member adjacent said lateral opening in said front end portion, whereby thread passing through the interior of said tubular member and outwardly through said lateral opening may engage said guide roller means so as to be guided thereby around the edge of said lateral opening during its passage therethrough.

6. A needle device, comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular member open at its rear end and having a tapered front end portion, said tubular member being formed in the region of said tapered front end portion with a lateral opening in the wall thereof; and guide roller means having a smooth curved surface arranged in said tubular member adjacent said lateral opening in said front end portion with its axis of rotation disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis of said tubular member,

whereby thread passing through the interior of said tubular member and outwardly through said lateral opening may engage said guide roller means so as to be guided thereby around the edge of said lateral opening during its passage therethrough.

7. A needle device, comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular member having a rear and a front end portion each formed with an opening, the opening in said front end portion being located in the side wall of said tubular member; and guiding means adjacent said front end opening comprising a beaded portion of at least the rearward edge portion of said front end opening, said beaded portion having a smooth curved guiding surface arranged in said tubular member located inwardly spaced 8. A needle device, comprising, in combination, an

elongated tubular member having a rear and a front end portion each formed with an opening, the opening in said front end portion being located in the side wall of said tubular member; and guiding means adjacent said front end opening comprising an inwardly folded portion of at least the rearward edge portion of said front end opening, said inwardly folded portion having a smooth curved guiding surface arranged in said tubular member located inwardly spaced from the cylindrical inner surface of said tubular member, whereby thread passing through the interior of said tubular member and outwardly through said front end opening may engage said smooth curved guiding surface of said inwardly folded portion of said guiding means so as to be guided thereby around the edge of said front end opening during its passage therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,268,752 Metcalf June 4, 1918 2,538,635 Wahle Jan. 16, 1951 2,539,479 Robertson Jan. 30, 19 51 

